Optimal Care Pathways

 

The Optimal Care Pathways are a framework for the delivery of consistent, safe, high-quality, and evidence-based care for people with cancer. Covering every step from prevention and early detection through to recovery, living with a chronic disease, or end-of-life care, they aim to improve patient outcomes by promoting quality cancer care and ensuring that all people diagnosed with cancer receive the best care, irrespective of where they live or receive cancer treatment.  

The Optimal Care Pathways can guide, support and inform increased collaboration, more effective care, improved healthcare provider–patient communication and patient experience.

For guidance on developing an Optimal Care Pathway please email  optimalcare.pathways@cancervic.org.au.

National endorsement 

The Optimal Care Pathways are endorsed by Cancer Australia, the former National Cancer Expert Reference Group (a committee that reported to the former Australian Health Ministers Advisory Committee and, through this committee, to the former Council of Australian Governments Health Council) and all states and territories.   

Recently the Optimal Care Pathways developed by the Leukaemia Foundation were endorsed by the Health Chief Executives Forum, which has replaced the former Australian Health Ministers Advisory Committee.

The Optimal Care Pathways have Australia-wide acceptance and government support, and are being implemented nationally.

Access the Optimal Care Pathways

Leukaemia Foundation, supported by the Australian Government have recently developed Optimal Care Pathways, Quick Reference Guides and Guides to Best Cancer Care for 6 blood cancers: children, adolescents and young adults with acute leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, chronic myeloid leukaemia, low-grade lymphomas, myelodysplastic syndrome and multiple myeloma.

Cancer Council Victoria, supported by the Victorian Government, has updated the Optimal Care Pathways, Quick Reference Guides and Guides to Best Cancer Care (formerly named the What to Expect Guides) for 15 cancer types (2nd edition).  

The 2nd edition of the Optimal Care Pathways for cancer of unknown primary, cervical cancer and sarcoma are currently in progress. 

The Optimal Care Pathways are available in their full version or as a Quick Reference Guide:

Optimal Care Pathways

Quick Reference Guides
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer [August 2018] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer [August 2018]
Acute leukaemia in children, adolescents and young adults [1st edition] Acute leukaemia in children, adolescents and young adults [1st edition]
Acute myeloid leukaemia [2nd edition] Acute myeloid leukaemia [2nd edition]
Breast cancer [2nd edition] Breast cancer [2nd edition]
Cancer of unknown primary [January 2020] Cancer of unknown primary [January 2020]
Cervical cancer [January 2020] Cervical cancer [January 2020]
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia [1st edition] Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia [1st edition]
Chronic myeloid leukaemia [1st edition] Chronic myeloid leukaemia [1st edition]
Colorectal cancer [2nd edition] Colorectal cancer [2nd edition]
Endometrial cancer [2nd edition] Endometrial cancer [2nd edition]
Head and neck cancer [2nd edition] Head and neck cancer [2nd edition]
Hepatocellular carcinoma [2nd edition] Hepatocellular carcinoma [2nd edition]
High-grade glioma [2nd edition] High-grade glioma [2nd edition]
Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas [2nd edition] Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas [2nd edition]
Keratinocyte cancer (basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma) [2nd edition] Keratinocyte cancer (basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma) [2nd edition]
Low-grade lymphomas [1st edition] Low-grade lymphomas [1st edition]
Lung cancer [2nd edition] Lung cancer [2nd edition]
Melanoma [2nd edition] Melanoma [2nd edition]
Multiple myeloma [1st edition] Multiple myeloma [1st edition]
Myelodysplastic syndrome [1st edition1] Myelodysplastic syndrome [1st edition1]
Oesophagogastric cancer [2nd edition] Oesophagogastric cancer [2nd edition]
Ovarian cancer [2nd edition] Ovarian cancer [2nd edition]
Pancreatic cancer [2nd edition] Pancreatic cancer [2nd edition] 
Prostate cancer [2nd edition] Prostate cancer [2nd edition]
Sarcoma [January 2020] Sarcoma [January 2020]

 

Optimal Care Pathways web application  

You can also access the Optimal Care Pathways in an interactive web app on your mobile or your desktop.  

The Optimal Care Pathways interactive web app is supported by the Victorian Government.  

Guides to Best Cancer Care

These short guides are a summary version of the Optimal Care Pathways. The y help patients, carers and families understand the optimal cancer care that should be provided from diagnosis, through to treatment and beyond .

They include optimal timeframes within which tests or procedures should be completed, prompt lists to support patients to understand what might happen at each step of their cancer experience and to consider what questions to ask, and provide information to help patients and carers communicate with health professionals.  

View the guides

For general practitioners and primary care staff

To support you, your practice and your patients, you can refer to:

 

More information:

For more information regarding the Optimal Care Pathways, or to send feedback, please email optimalcare.pathways@cancervic.org.au.

Page last updated:

This webpage was last updated in July 2022.